Only Her
by Jeni
Summary: A different version of Karone's abduction
1. Default Chapter Title

  
  
Only Her  
By: Jeni  
  
IBDisclaimer/B: I don't own Power Rangers and I don't own fish. I do, however, own this plot and story, and all the events in it.P  
  
Author's Note: This is part one of the Kerovian Chronicles. A major difference is Karone is kidnapped at a much later age than on the tv show; she is kidnapped when she is in her early teenage years. Another difference is that Karone is older than Andros by a day. On the show Andros is older, but I don't know by how much.P/I  
  
  
Karone, astro ranger in training, batted her eyelashes at her brother innocently. "Please?" her intonation plainly stated she wasn't asking or begging; she was demanding. "We haven't practiced telekinesis in ages!"P  
  
Andros smiled at his twin sister in fond exasperation. Although he was extremely protective of her, she was a whole day older than he, and she loved to tease him about it.P  
  
"Oh, all right," he relented, raising his hands to ward her off, and was rewarded by her squeal of delight. "But keep it down!" he laughed, glancing over his shoulder to where his parents sat entertaining several visitors. "It's going to be hard enough for us to sneak away without you screaming like you're being mugged."P  
  
Karone giggled. "Okay," she replied in a highly exaggerated whisper, and he felt his lips twitch upward in the barest hint of a smile. He watched in fond amusement as his sister grabbed a pad of paper and a pen, scribbling down a note to their parents, and he snatched the telekinesis ball off the counter, following his sibling out the door.P   
  
Once at the park, the twins chose a secluded area for which suited their purpose perfectly. It was a small clearing , hidden in the trees, and as far as they knew, was unknown to any one else.P  
  
Andros gently plopped the training ball to the ground and stepped away from it, unconsciously mimicking Karone's actions, and he instructed, "Concentrate on the ball. Imagine it moving away from you."P  
  
Karone scrunched her face in concentration. The ball expanded, rising gracefully into the air, and Andros flicked his hand, causing it to spin. "Now pull it away from me," he called. P  
  
Karone's blond curls bounced gently on her shoulders as she nodded, and Andros felt a tug on the ball. Smiling faintly he snatched it away from his sister's grasp, bringing it closer to himself. Shaking his head, he chided, "You can do better than that. Make me fight for it."P  
  
The sudden smirk on his sister's face should have warned him, for immediately after his statement the ball was torn from his hold, spinning toward him at such speed and ferocity he was unable to stop it. He ducked, feeling the whir of the multi colored ball as it sailed overhead, and he sprang back to full height when the sound had fully vanished.P  
  
Turning around, he quickly located the ball—still traveling at a rapid pace— and whirled around angrily to face the guilty stare of his sister. "You did that on purpose!" he accused.P  
  
Karone flinched. "Sorry," she offered quietly. "I didn't mean to push it that hard."P  
  
She looked so full of remorse, shifting her feet and averting her eyes to study the ground, that he sighed. "It's not your fault."P  
  
She raised her head slowly, once again meeting his eyes. "I honestly didn't mean to push it so far. I just wanted to startle you…"P  
  
Andros nodded his head, efficiently cutting her off. "I understand," he said. "I did the same thing to Zhane the other day." He smiled at Karone, who bit her lip in effort to conceal a smile at the mention of his best friend. Turning around he called over his shoulder, "I'll go get the ball. You stay here." He barely even registered her acknowledgement of his orders, intent on catching up with the toy.P  
  
He ran for several paces, using telekinesis to slow the ball down to a halt, and reached out to grab it when a shriek shrilled the air.P  
  
He whirled around, ball clutched in his hand tightly, for he had instantly recognized the voice as Karone's. A frantic scan of the area revealed the blond trapped in the steel grip of a spiked orange and black creature. With a yell of anger he ran toward the scene, screaming to Zhane for help by way of telepathy, and then he was upon the creature, tearing its grasp away from his sister, not seeing her stumble away.P  
  
The creature snarled in anger, but Andros held his ground, even when it turned toward the future red ranger. "You have disrupted my plans," it growled. "And for that you shall pay."P  
  
"Yeah, well you were messing with my sister," Andros countered boldly in anger. His heart pounded in his ears, nearly deafening him in his fright, and the creature laughed.P  
  
"You are but a boy!" it cried. "And I am Darkonda, famed bounty hunter of the universe! You stand no chance against me!"P  
  
Andros swallowed, but refused to be drawn into the worthless banter in which the beast was aiming. "I don't care who you are," he replied bravely. "No one messes with my sister."P  
  
The creature—Darkonda, as he had named himself— cackled again, and Andros felt his insides weaken at the maddened tone. He assumed a fighting stance automatically, realizing too late that Darkonda would probably take the move as a challenge, and then the bounty hunter struck, faster than his size would have suggested possible, and Andros felt his body dart out of the way.P  
  
The beast chuckled in amusement at the desperation in the future red ranger's moves, recognizing instantly the fear of losing the battle in the boy. It saw, and decided to use the that fear to his advantage.P  
  
Moving faster than the eye could possibly follow, he snapped a front kick to the boy's head, causing it to snap back, and the boy slumped to the ground, unconscious.P  
  
A shriek of anger and pain warned him to the young girl's attack an instant before she struck, striking and lashing out in a frantic effort to protect her younger sibling.P  
  
Darkonda snarled in anger as one of her punches evaded his defenses, and he snatched the girl up in his arms, ignoring her squeals and cries of protest and her vicious struggling. He took one last quick look at his surroundings, memorizing both the location of the battle and the brother's features, and then disappeared in a bubble of clear air, taking the struggling teenager with him.P  
  
Center~*~ /CenterP  
  
The sound of the moderate beeping of the machine was the only clarification of the boy's barely succeeding struggle for life. It remained slow yet constant, informing the doctor that the young boy, although he did not appear to be, was indeed alive. The doctor sighed tiredly, squinting hard to in order to see the rise and fall of the child's chest, reassuring himself that the boy was still breathing.P  
  
A timid buzz drew him out of his engrossed studying, and he turned to address the door. "Come in."P  
  
Sandrea, his assistant, poked her head cautiously in the doorway. "The boy's parents and his best friend are asking to see him." she nodded her head in the direction of the still child.P  
  
The doctor sighed irritably. The rule stating all immediate family and the closest friend of the patient were allowed to visit at any hour, disregarding cases of extreme emergencies, annoyed him to no end. He understood the need for relatives to see their fellow kinsman, but he wished they would respect his need for solitude during the examination of the patient.P  
  
He pushed his irritation to the back of his mind with some effort; he had, unfortunately, once been in the shoes of the ones who stood inside the waiting room. He gave a quick, curt nod to the nurse, then spun on his heel to resume his studying of the boy Andros.P  
  
The door creaked open to announce the arrival of the admitted, and the Doctor frowned. The nurse had left only a second ago, too soon for the new arrivals to have entered, unless they had been waiting outside the door. His frown blackened. He would have to talk to his nurse about following his instructions later. The mother of Andros— Akya— must have taken his expression the wrong way.P  
  
"What's wrong?" she pleaded in a voice near tears. "Will he be all right?"P  
  
The doctor gestured toward the bed. "He is in a coma," he explained, as gently as he could. He always hated this part. "He has a sever concussion, which is unfortunately why he is unresponsive." he paused. "The chances he will recover are slim, but if he does, he will most likely have brain damage or amnesia."P  
  
He shook his head sadly, trying, but failing miserably, to push the picture of the devastated mother and father out of his mind. He turned to the friend, Zhane. "Did you see anything?" It was a long shot, and he knew it, but victim's of attacks sometimes pushed a vision of what had, or was, happening onto their closest family member or friend. It was a rare occurrence, and the action was usually unnoticed by the victim, but the boy Andros Ihad/I contacted Zhane an instant before he had been struck…P  
  
But the silver clad boy shook his head solemnly, an unusual serious and sadness lingering in his normally laughing blue eyes.P  
  
The doctor sighed. "I expected not." he glided over to the injured boy's bed, picking up his clipboard he always kept near the patient. He stretched a hand and felt the boy's forehead. Hot. The boy had a fever, which was to be expected, since he had a slight infection.P  
  
"Doctor Ammon." He froze, wishing he could simply vanish back in time to prevent the whole event from occurring, yet knowing his wish would never be granted.P  
  
He remained frozen in position, not wanting to face the heartbroken sorrow of the family who had lost their daughter and were in danger of losing their son, too, but simply tossed a quiet, "Yes?" over his shoulder.P  
  
"Suppose Andros does wake up and is perfectly fine. No amnesia, no brain damage, nothing. Is that possible?" The mother's tone was calm; too calm. She was still in shock over the sudden events that had drastically changed her life in the course of seconds.P  
  
Still not turning around, he replied, "It is." Not wanting to heighten her hopes, he added, "But that is highly unlikely."P  
  
"Yet for the purpose of my question let's say that he comes out of this as if nothing happened," she persisted, vividly reminding him of KO-35's greatest predator chasing its prey. She continued, oblivious of his comparison of her to the Sk'lan. "Could he tell us what happened? Who took Karone, and where they went?"P  
  
The Doctor paused, finally removing his hand from Andros' forehead, and shifted to face Akya. "He… could." he accessed the Mother's questions rapidly in his mind, brain shifting from one possible explanation to another, and not liking its answers. "But only if he was emotionally able…" he trailed off, words dying on his lips like a shooting star across the sky.P  
  
The alarmed silence which greeted his confession allowed him a few precious seconds to steady his nerves. He took a deep breath, drinking in the golden absence of sound and absorbing it like a desert receiving rain, when a voice screamed at him "Too quiet!"P  
  
He spun around, instincts controlling him and adding to the sudden rush of adrenaline, and lunged toward the bed; the boy's heart had stopped.P  
  
A whirl of colors and roar of sound was all he knew for the next harried minutes. Punching the button on the bed, he hollered for Seandra, not noticing when she burst through the door, or when the family was forced to leave. All he noticed was the fight to save the boy's life, and the terrible sensation of failure underlying it.P  
  
Center* * */CenterP  
  
"Put me down, let me go!" Darkonda tightened his grip on the child as the world re-materialized, revealing the chamber for which he used to communicate with Dark Spectre. He set the girl down roughly, slamming her feet onto the floor, and she dropped to the ground in pain.P  
  
He strode to the comm station located in the corner of the room, throwing aside the curtain drape which served only to hide it. Punching in the code, he was rewarded with one of the Evil Monarch's lackeys.P  
  
"For what purpose do you call?" The being questioned irritably, and Darkonda stifled a laugh. The creature was a small, bat-like animal with blue fur and a strange beak where a mouth should be. The ears resembled those of a horse, or maybe a cat— one of Earth's strange organisms.P  
  
"I call for the honor to speak with Dark Spectre." Darkonda rasped in reply. "I have a small token he might be interested in."P  
  
The critter bobbed its head agreeably, looking like a cocky pigeon. "One moment. I shall go see if his majesty is willing an audience." The lackey swirled gracefully, heading off the screen and leaving Darkonda standing in front of the screen, listening to the girl's quiet sniffing. P  
  
Several moments passed, then several more. The bounty hunter grew more restless and irritated with each passing moment. Finally, unable to stand the girl's sobbing any more, he whirled around. "Will you shut up?" he roared. The girl's head jerked up like a puppet on a string, and he the puppeteer.P  
  
"Darkonda," a rumbling voice boomed. "What have you for me?"P  
  
Turning, the bounty hunter found himself facing Dark Spectre on the comm screen. "A girl, your Evilness." he addressed the lava being in front of him with an elegant (if somewhat mocking, in his mind), bow. "I captured her on KO-35. I nearly got her brother as well, but there was not enough time."P  
  
"And of what use is this girl to me?" the evil monarch demanded.P  
  
Darkonda cackled gleefully, aware without looking, of the girl backing away as far into the shadows as she could. Gleefully, he informed, "She was a future power ranger."P  
  
The Monarch managed to look thoughtful. "Indeed," he rasped. "And her brother?"P  
  
"A future ranger as well, Your Evilness." Darkonda smiled. "I thought she might interest you."P  
  
Dark Spectre stared passed the bounty hunter to the girl. He remained silent for several minutes, as if studying her to determine her worthiness. "You shall take her to Ecliptor." he announced, not seeming to notice when Darkonda choked.P  
  
"Ecliptor?" he protested. "But your majesty…"P  
  
"To Ecliptor!" Dark Spectre's temper was as hot as the lava he was made of.P  
  
"Very well." Darkonda acquiesced with another bow. "As you wish. I shall take her to Ecliptor."P  
  
"I shall inform him of your arrival." Dark Spectre informed him smugly, then disappeared from the comm system.P  
  
Darkonda's mask of loyal nature vanished as quickly as Dark Spectre's temper had risen, and he smashed his hand against the wall. "Ecliptor!" he fumed. "That… sorry excuse for a monster!"P  
  
Imbedded in his furious raving, he failed to see the look of terrified fear and hatred flit through the girl's eyes. And for that reason he didn't kill her.P   
  
center~*~/CenterP  
  
KO-35 was now a planet of turmoil. Word had traveled quickly, so that nearly everyone knew about the kidnapping incident. Extra precautions were being taken, shields were erected around the planet, allowing no unknown ship through. Eltar had been informed and instructed to let Zordon know that one of his future ranger's was missing and the other was in critical condition.P  
  
But Zhane didn't care. For all the rumors, all the reporters questioning him and printing off quotes in the newspapers, there was still nothing that could be done. Kinwon had even sent out a special news bulletin across the galaxy, explaining, and pleading about Karone. So far no one who had called knew anything helpful.P  
  
He sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets and shuffling his feet. Andros' cry for help still rang sharply in his mind, haunting him both day and night, and he could almost swear he had seen the abduction of his best friend's sister.P  
  
He paused, not hearing the scuff of his boot against the concrete ground as he turned. The doctor had asked if he had seen anything. At the time he had said no, thinking it was his overworked and hopeful imagination feeding him the visions. Now, though…P  
  
He sighed again, resuming his slow walk to the hospital. It couldn't be his imagination torturing him with the same vision over and over again, could it? He wasn't sure, but he hoped the doctor would know.P  
  
The hospital loomed before him, tall to a boy of such short height but short to a grown man. He hesitated a mere second before hefting the door open and entering. The nurse at the reception greeted him warmly, telling him to go on in. He nodded politely in thanks, and entered Andros' room.P  
  
He was struck once again with the pale fragileness of the future red ranger. A strange noise from behind him startled the young ranger-to-be, and Zhane stepped into the room, turning to face the doctor.P  
  
Doctor Ammon was a tall man, especially to someone as short as Zhane, and the young ranger was forced to crane his head up to address him.P  
  
"I came to ask you a question." he blurted before he could stop himself, instantly regretting his action.P  
  
"Oh?" the Doctor brushed past him, not rudely, to stand beside the Andros' bed. He gazed down at Zhane's best friend and jotted something on the clipboard in his hand.P  
  
"Yes," Zhane swallowed and stepped forward. He didn't like the idea of confessing to the Doctor, but if it could help Andros…P  
  
"I've been having strange visions about some creature holding Karone, and…" he broke off in nervous fear as the Doctor suddenly leaped up, face a hard mask.P  
  
"You've been seeing what happened?" the doctor's voice was a forced sensed of calm, but Zhane could sense a radiant of excitement from the man.P  
  
"I think so." Zhane responded. "I wasn't sure—I'm still not, but they won't leave me alone."P  
  
The Doctor held his fingers to his lips and began, to Zhane's immense surprise, pacing. While the Doctor seemed to be many things, a pacing man just wasn't one of them.P  
  
"You can help Andros." the Doctor announced when he finally looked up.P  
  
Zhane staggered, feeling as if a bucket of freezing cold water had been dumped on his head. "M-me?" he stuttered. "Help Andros? But how could I help him if you…" he edited his sentence too late, not wanting to offend the doctor, but startled beyond rational thinking.P  
  
The doctor, to his colossal relief, did not take offense. "When I myself cannot?" he finished wryly. He appeared to be thinking, then shrugged. "I am not sure," he admitted. "But maybe if you could enter Andros' mind you could show him the way back."P  
  
"The 'way back?'" Zhane repeated, confused.P  
  
The doctor nodded. "The way to consciousness," he elaborated, voice tinged with hope.P   
  
Zhane swallowed. He wanted to help Andros more than anything, but he was afraid he would end up hurting his best friend more than he would help him. "What makes you think I can enter Andros' mind?" he asked finally. "With him unconscious it is closed to me."P  
  
"Perhaps not." the doctor responded so quickly Zhane knew he'd already thought about the procedure. "If he was in contact with you before he was struck, then it is a very good possibility that he…"P  
  
"That he what?" Zhane pressed. The doctor looked at him, hope and uncertainty reflecting from his eyes.P  
  
"Somehow created a bond with you somehow. One that you feel with your brother, or…" he grimaced, glancing back at the pale form of Andros, "sister." P   
  
Zhane nodded slowly. "I think I understand. What do I do?"P  
  
The doctor smiled. "What you would normally do. Once you've established the link, search for his presence. After that…" he shrugged. "You're on your own."P  
  
Zhane's stomach clenched slightly. Taking a deep breath, he attempted to calm his jumping nerves, and walked over to the bed, kneeling beside it. He lay his hand gently on Andros' arm, and closed his eyes, searching for a way to enter his friend's mind.P  
  
He found a spot where the shields were slightly weaker than everywhere else, and he brushed against them gently, requesting permission to enter. He waited, and nothing happened. He was about to leave to try some other tactic when the shields were suddenly dropped, and he tumbled into Andros' mind.P   
  
I Cold. It was cold. Zhane shivered slightly and rubbed his arms briskly. Looking around revealed several memories, all in small bubbles, and Zhane stared. He knew from past experiences of entering Andros' mind that there weren't supposed to be any bubbles. Having memories in them meant your mind was in a frozen, almost shut- down mode.P  
  
He stepped forward slowly, moving stiffly from the cold freezing his joints, and walked past each individual memory, searching for his friend's presence hidden among them.P  
  
He paused, wondering if it was only his imagination about the temperature rising, and then a bubble popped.P  
  
It had happened suddenly; one instant it was there, looming beside him, and then the next it was gone, exploding within the confinements of Andros' mind. P  
  
Zhane continued to stand there, waiting for another memory to be released, but when nothing happened he walked forward, thinking that maybe the memory was one of vital importance.P  
  
He reached it, hearing his breath catch, and wondering dimly if the doctor was monitoring his vital signs. But the thought was gone faster than it had come, flitting to the back of his mind, for as he gazed at the memory in shock he realized that Andros had revealed his presence.P  
  
The memory was replaying itself over and over again, in the same fashion that Zhane had seen. Karone being released to tumble to the ground, Andros' head snapping back, then darkness, a darkness to rival the blackest night, and Zhane gasped, clutching his head and stumbling back.P  
  
"Andros," Zhane rasped. "Andros, please, stop! You'll kill yourself!"P  
  
The future silver ranger could only watch as the memory began to fade, revealing the form of his best friend. The form grew larger, stronger, closer, replacing the memory, and Zhane knew instantly that if Andros woke up he would no longer recall what had happened.P  
  
"Z-zhane?" the stutter should have warned him, for Andros was suddenly falling. He reached out, grabbing his best friend under the arms and hauling him to his feet. "Zhane?" Andros repeated. "What are you doing here?"P  
  
"Trying to help you, that's what." Zhane replied. "We have to get out of here."P  
  
"Zhane, wait!" The other ranger paused, halting and shifting awkwardly to face Andros. Andros stared back at him, haggard face filled with worry. "My… sister?"P  
  
Zhane sighed. Of all the subjects to inform Andros of what had been happening, Karone was the one that should be avoided.P  
  
"She's… gone, Andros. I'm sorry. We did all we could…" his feeble words died on his lips as the expression on Andros' face transformed into one of heartbreaking sorrow. P   
  
Zhane bit his lip, heart crying for both Andros and Karone, and gently tugged Andros in the direction of consciousness. "Come on, Andros," he murmured. "The sooner you get out of here the sooner you can start looking for her."P  
  
Andros nodded, and with Zhane's support, slowly walked to the edge of his mind, and to the beginning of consciousness. /I P  
  
Center~*~/centerP  
  
"They've been like that for over an hour." the doctor murmured quietly. He raised his head to meet Akya's worried gaze. "But I believe they are both all right."P  
  
His heart leaped in his throat when Zhane suddenly gasped and recoiled, lurching away from the bed. The doctor grasped the young boy by his shoulders and shook him, relieved beyond feeling when the boy opened his eyes.P  
  
"What happened, are you all right?" the doctor asked. "Did you find Andros?"P  
  
Zhane nodded, not noticing Akya behind him, and murmured, "I found him. He should be waking up soon."P  
  
As soon as he finished speaking, the doctor heard a groan. He looked up, seeing Akya do the same, and he sprang to Andros' side, ordering Akya to help Zhane to the bed.P  
  
"Andros?" the doctor asked quietly. "Can you hear me? If you can hear me I need you to do something for me. I need you to open your eyes, all right? Can you do that?"P   
  
The boy groaned again, head twitching to the side before opening his eyes. P  
  
There was a small collective sigh of relief surrounding in the room by the people surrounding the bed.P  
  
Andros looked at them in confusion, letting his eyes droop shut again. Alarmed, the doctor reached out and lightly smacked the injured ranger on the arm. "Andros," he said calmly, not betraying any of the panic he felt inside. "Andros. I need you to stay awake, okay?"P  
  
Andros turned his head, muttering something incomprehensible. P  
  
"What?" the doctor leaned over closer to the boy's face.P  
  
"Hurts," the boy mumbled, and the doctor's heart clenched. "Bright." Andros continued, not noticing Zhane or Akya in the room, or even the doctor's closeness.P  
  
The doctor nodded, knowing Andros wouldn't see but not caring. Twisting his body to face the two visitors, he instructed, "Turn the lights down, please. Half strength."P   
  
He turned back to Andros, and the lights dimmed. "Okay," he said. "The lights shouldn't hurt your eyes any more." He watched grimly as the boy cautiously opened his eyes again, peering around the room, and noticing, for the first time, Zhane and Akya.P  
  
"Andros," the doctor began hesitantly, "can you tell us what happened?" He was slightly confused and worried when the boy frowned, as if not quite sure what to say.P  
  
"What happened when?" the trembling voice belayed the boy's weakness.P   
  
The doctor sighed. Shifting slightly so he was facing Akya and Zhane as well as Andros, he confessed in a somewhat embarrassed tone, "I realized too late he might not remember the—" Zhane's eyes narrowed and he shook his head slightly, refraining the doctor from finishing his sentence.P  
  
He glanced back at Andros, and noticed the boy tired very quickly, for he had taken on the appearance of being asleep. Satisfied for the moment the boy would be all right, the doctor turned his attention back to the visitors.P  
  
"Can you tell me what visions you saw?" the doctor inquired hopefully. Zhane shook his head, and the doctor felt as if the ground had just dropped from underneath him, leaving him dangling on a loose limb.P  
  
"W-what?" he asked, carefully concealing the tremble of surprise in his voice. "You told me earlier you were seeing visions…"P  
  
"I was." Zhane interjected quickly, shooting a glance at Akya as he did so. "But after I came out of Andros' mind I forgot. All I can remember is the telepathic call for help he sent me."P  
  
The doctor sighed wearily, massaging his closed eyelids with his hands. "I should have known," he said at last. "It is my fault. I am sorry."P  
  
"Should have known what?" questioned Akya patiently, sounding as if she were addressing a child.P  
  
The doctor shook his head, still hiding his face with his hands, and whispered, "The memory of the visions would vanish. If Andros bonded Zhane as I suspect he did, then…" he paused, then resumed explaining his hypothesis, "when Andros lost recollection of the kidnapping, so did Zhane. We have no way to trace it now."P  
  
His mind cried out in sorrow as Akya bit her lip to prevent the tears from falling. "There… is no way?" she repeated.P  
  
The doctor shook his head regretfully, then aborted the movement. "Unless…" he chewed his lip thoughtfully.P  
  
"Unless what?" Akya pleaded. Zhane simply watched the interlude between the adults wordlessly.P  
  
The doctor frowned, knowing the chances of his idea were slim. "Unless Andros himself were to remember."P  
  
Center~*~/center  
  
Karone shivered in the damp darkness. After talking to that strange lava guy her kidnapper had brought her here… to wherever here was. She gazed around slowly, flinching as a drop of water landed on her nose.P  
  
In another desperate attempt to reach her brother, she reached out, searching for his comforting presence, wanting to reassure herself that he was still alive, regardless of what her abductor had said.P  
  
But her efforts resulted in nothing, as had the previous attempts, and she bit her lip, struggling not to cry. "Andros wasn't hit that hard," she whimpered quietly to her only willing audience. The darkness offered no reply, no heartfelt encouragement or comforting words. P  
  
She continued, not willing to accept defeat. "He's alive! I know it!" her sharp whisper rang fiercely throughout her blackened cell. "He'll come to get me."P  
  
"You really believe that, don't you?"P  
  
Karone jumped. She hadn't noticed any one watching her, but the creature who stood in her cell wasn't her kidnapper. After scrutinizing the creature she decided it was an odd one. It was black with green zig-zags, and its eyes glowed an eerie red in the darkness. Swallowing hard, she ventured, "Yes. Who are you?"P  
  
The creature bowed elegantly. "You, my Princess, may call me Ecliptor." the monster's voice was kind and sincere.P  
  
"Princess?" Karone repeated, confused. "Um, I don't think so. I'm just a citizen of—"P  
  
Ecliptor's deep voice interjected, "Not anymore."P  
  
Feeling her mouth drop open, Karone tried to shut it but her mind had gone numb. She sat there, gaping at the creature named Ecliptor, and wondered what kind of monster he was. "What do you mean?" She stuttered.P  
  
Ecliptor huffed more noisily than a hippo on a hot day. He started forward, stopped, and gestured. "May I?"P  
  
Startled, Karone managed a slight nod. She watched in silence as Ecliptor sat in front of her.P  
  
"You are no longer who you were," the gravely voice began gently. "You have…" he paused, searching for the right word. "Inherited. Yes. You have inherited a kingdom, a kingdom of massive worlds—" he swept his arm in a wide arch, watching as the girl's eyes nearly popped out her skull. "and power. You now have power, riches, anything you desire! The little girl you once were is gone. You are now Astronema, Queen of the Stars."P  
  
"Is that what my kingdom is called?" the wide-eyed girl asked, biting her lip.P  
  
Ecliptor leaned forward. "Yes," he whispered. "But only around me."P  
  
The girl frowned. "What do you mean?" her question was spoken carefully, and Ecliptor knew her kidnapper had not been gentle. He would have frowned if he could; children did not deserve to be treated so roughly.P  
  
"I mean there are some people who would hurt you for what you have. They are jealous." The crystalline creature watched in amazement as the girl's eyes seemed to grow even wider. "Therefore, when around anyone but me you shall answer to, Astronema, Princess of Darkness."P  
  
The girl shook her head. "I don't like darkness." she protested. "It resembles evil."P  
  
Ecliptor shrugged in attempt to seem less creation and more human. "Your other title is Princess of Evil," he said carefully.P  
  
"But I'm not a Princess! I don't want to be a princess— I'm a power ranger!" she wailed.P  
  
Ecliptor held up his hand. "Listen to me, please." He waited for the girl's nod before allowing himself to continue. "You are not a power ranger. Do you have a morpher? I thought not," he continued smoothly, not waiting for her answer. "The power rangers are evil. To them, you are evil. But you are not."P  
  
"My brother is a power ranger, and so is his friend!" the girl declared hotly. "Are you saying they're evil?"P  
  
Ecliptor lowered his head, swinging it side to side. "No. They are not evil. But they are not alive, either." For some strange reason a slight pain began emitting from his chest. Confused, he shook his head again in attempt to vanquish it..P  
  
The girl gasped and slouched down in shock. "But… but I was to be a power ranger," she whimpered. "And I am alive."P  
  
Ecliptor nodded. "Do you know why you are alive?" he asked. At the girl's numb, "no," he launched a string of reasons. "You are alive because you were brought here. Your brother, your friend, and yourself were fed false hopes." the girl continued to stare at him in horrified realization. Horrified at the story he was telling, realization of her twin's death.P   
  
"Do you know who commands the power rangers?" he didn't expect her to know, and was proven right at the quick shake of her head. He cocked his head. "Zordon. He is the one responsible for your brother's death. Both he and the power rangers. He ordered the rangers to kill your brother and friend."P  
  
Before he could continue she wailed, "Why?"P  
  
Ecliptor somehow frowned. As much as he hated seeing her in pain, she deserved to know the truth. "He believed them incapable of being rangers. They failed to protect you from your kidnapper. They were not good enough to be rangers."P  
  
"But you said I would have been killed, too…" the girl's voice trailed off.P  
  
"You would have." Ecliptor said. "That monster was sent by Zordon as a test. You were unable to defeat him by yourself and needed your brother's help to escape. You were considered unworthy, so he brought you here. To kill you. But I have defeated him, so you are safe now."P  
  
"The power rangers killed my brother? Because he was unworthy?" her voice rose in pitch and she jumped up, fury plainly audible. "He was not unworthy! He wasn't even morphed! I'd like to see them do better!"P  
  
Ecliptor watched her rave in silence. When she had finally finished, she turned to him, eyes blazing in such anger and hate he was taken aback. "They will pay for what they did to my brother," she snarled. P  
  
Ecliptor nodded and climbed to his feet. He bowed elegantly. "As you wish, Astronema." P  
  
He followed her out the cell, wondering at the speed in which the Princess of Evil had been born.P  
  
Maybe family was more a blessing than he had thought.P  
  
Center~*~/centerP  
  
I two weeks later/IP  
  
"What is this place?" Andros asked, earning a worried look from Zhane.P  
  
"You don't remember?" Zhane asked.P  
  
Andros frowned. "No. Should I?"P  
  
Zhane nodded. "Yes, you should. We used to come here all the time, you and I and…" he trailed off, thinking it better if Karone wasn't mentioned.P  
  
While Andros was recovering nicely, he was still not back to full strength. He also failed to remember the whole kidnapping incident. IExcept for his sister's screams,/I Zhane mused. IHe has terrible nightmares about it, or so I'm told…/IP  
  
He turned his gaze on Andros. He smiled faintly at the other boy's fascination. It was the same reaction the two boys had shared when they'd first discovered the old stone ruins. The trees surrounding the ruins made it difficult to see the city, but Andros didn't care. He was too busy inspecting the crumbled relics of the once-proud castle. P  
  
As Andros carefully entered the ruins Zhane followed, mind turning back to the nightmares. P  
  
During the nightmares Andros would begin to thrash about, muttering cries for help and Zhane. The nightmares always ended with Andros screaming for Karone. And while he wasn't an expert, Zhane felt that Andros still retained his memory about the accident. The nightmares proved it. He knew Andros' powerful will of mind, and he was willing to bet the other ranger had unconsciously buried the memories away for later use.P  
  
"Zhane?" the quiet voice of his best friend yanked him away from his reverie.P  
  
"Yeah?" he whispered. Andros stood next to one of the stone walls, looking strangely separated from the rest of the world. But when he tried to join him, Andros backed up warily. Zhane sighed and stayed where he was.P  
  
"What's the purpose of having rangers?" Andros whispered, startling Zhane.P  
  
"Uh" Zhane chewed his bottom lip. Choosing his words carefully, he answered Andros' question with one of his own. "What do Iyou/I think rangers are around for?"P  
  
He watched in concerned interest as Andros shrugged. IWhat was going on? Andros had been acting weird before, but nothing like this...I  
  
Once again Andros interrupted his thoughts. "Oh, I don't know. I just don't see any purpose of being a ranger."  
  
Zhane frowned. "Are you saying you don't want to be a power ranger?"  
  
"No!" Andros snapped. He raised his hand to touch his forehead.  
  
Concerned, Zhane asked, "Are you all right?" He was taken aback when Andros whirled, fury plainly audible on his face.  
  
"Of course not!" he raged, and Zhane felt himself take a few steps back before he could stop himself. "Do you really expect me to be? To wake up one day and discover your twin sister is gone, and it's all your fault?"  
  
"A-andros," Zhane licked his lips nervously. He could barely hear his own voice, it was so quiet, but he sensed that somehow Andros could hear him. "It wasn't your fault. You did all you could"  
  
"And it wasn't enough!" the other ranger snarled. "I'm a ranger— well, going to be, anyway- yet I couldn't even save my very own sister!" Zhane watched in horror as Andros punched the stone wall fiercely to emphasize his point. "How am I supposed" punch, a small trail of blood, "to protect the planet, if" punch, punch, "I can't even protect my own sister!?!"  
  
He made a move to punch the wall again. Moving quickly, Zhane leaped the distance between the two friends and grabbed Andros' hand before it could smash into the wall.  
  
Andros stiffened but didn't move.  
  
"What do you think you are doing?" Zhane seethed, punctuating each word with a small shake of Andros' arm. "Your hand is hurt now. What did that accomplish?"  
  
Still not moving or looking at him, Andros muttered, "It was my punishment."  
  
"What?" Zhane yelped. "That's no punishment!"  
  
Andros nodded before Zhane could continue. "You're right." the younger boy agreed so quickly that Zhane blinked.  
  
"I am?" he asked, feeling stupid.  
  
Andros nodded. "That is no punishment. A punishment should be something painful, something heartfelt-" he gazed around the room as if looking for a lost toy. "I need something painful, something to teach me a lesson."  
  
Zhane could only stand there, stunned, and listen to Andros rant. He had known Andros was upset, but he hadn't even begun to guess the extent of the other's rage. Finally gaining control of himself, Zhane spun Andros around to face him, grabbed the red ranger's wrists, and shook him. Hard.  
  
"Listen to me, Andros!" he growled. Calming down slightly he managed to stop shaking the younger boy. "That is not a punishment! That is self-mutilation! Do you understand me?"  
  
But Andros remained silent as he stared at Zhane with wide eyes. Zhane's anger flared. All the anger he had kept bottled up inside over the kidnapping of Karone, over Andros in the hospital, and now of Andros wanting to hurt himself, suddenly erupted like volcanic ash. "Do you understand me?" he shouted. "Well? Do you?"  
  
Andros' face had gone white. Suddenly afraid he had re-injured his friend, Zhane felt a sudden flood of fear conceal his fury. Letting go of him, he watched as Andros stumbled away.  
  
"Andros?" he called gently. "Andros, you okay? Listen, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it." He watched in silent fear as Andros dropped to the ground in a crouch, shuddering. He hesitated, unsure as to how Andros would react to his presence.   
  
But the hesitation lasted less than a heartbeat. With a quiet sigh of sorrow Zhane walked to where the other ranger was crouched. Kneeling down beside him, Zhane grabbed his friend and enveloped him in a giant bear hug.  
  
Andros twisted in his grip to return the hug desperately, like a drowning boy clutching to his only lifeline. As the two friends crouched there, Zhane gently rocking Andros back and forth, a whisper of wind ruffled the trees outside the building.  
  
Holding Andros' shuddering body close to him, Zhane whispered with all the confidence he could muster, "We'll get her back, Andros. I promise. It'll be all right."  
  
The wind stirred up again, twirling the tree branches in amusement and laughter. Zhane frowned. It must have been his imagination, but for a brief moment he could have sworn the wind was laughing at him. Like it knew something he didn't. And it thought his promise was funny and worth mocking.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Rise of the Astros

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers; only the plot and the events in this series.   
Author's Note: Just quick little note. In the first chapter of the Kerovian Chronicles I had Andros slightly younger than Karone even though I knew he was actually older. Well, it was too weird for me to have him younger, so I swapped his and Karone's age so Karone is now slightly younger than him. So when you read the first chapter, just ignore what I wrote about him being younger. Sorry about that. Anyway, this is number two in the series The Kerovian Chronicles. Enjoy.  
The Rise of the Astros  
by: Jeni   
Tammon held up one finger and continued his pacing. "Agility." he ticked off another finger. Still studying the ranger trainees, he paced. "Perseverance. And wits." He tapped the side of his head and abandoned his pacing, swiveling to face his students. "Those are the four key elements to success as rangers. You must be quicker than your opponents, smarter than your opponents, more flexible, and most important, smarter. Many of Dark Spectre's lackeys lack brains."  
The six ranger trainees chuckled.  
Tammon ignored them. "Therefore, his lackeys' lackeys lack even more brains."  
All six ranger trainees laughed outright and even Tammon smiled. The smile vanished as soon as the laughing had died down, however, and he instructed, "Tsarmina, Desira, and Zyle begin practicing your flips and handsprings. Be careful, and take turns spotting each other. Tyline, Andros, begin sparring. Zhane, I want you to come here."  
The ranger trainees went their separate ways, the two females cheerfully dragging Zyle to the gymnastic mats. Tammon smiled. Zyle was most likely going to enjoy today's practice session, as he would be with the two girls the entire time.  
"You wanted to see me, sir?" The young voice drew Tammon's attention to the boy in front of him.  
"Er, uh. yes." Tammon cleared his throat nervously. "Uh, yes, lad, I did." He gestured to the benches on the side of the gym. "Please, sit down."  
Zhane did so.  
"Now, Zhane, I have a few questions to ask you." Tammon saw a confused look cloud the boy's eyes before he managed to hide it. He smiled in what he hoped was a reassuring manner.   
"I received a copy of your grades yesterday, and I must say I was very surprised." From his pocket he produced a single slip of paper. Zhane's eyes grew wide and Tammon slipped the paper back in his pocket. He sighed and leaned forward until he was nearly touching Zhane's forehead.  
"Your grades have greatly improved," Tammon continued. "And that is good. But would you care to tell me why they suddenly improved now, when you are busier than when your grades were low?" The ranger trainer watched the boy fidget, knowing instantly that the question had made the silver ranger uncomfortable.   
Squirming and not meeting Tammon's eyes, Zhane muttered, "It's actually interesting stuff now. Before it was boring." he was about to continue when Tammon snorted.  
"Bolder dash!" he smacked his hand on his knee to emphasize his point. "You're studying the same material now as two weeks ago! Now tell me the truth."  
Zhane hesitated and glanced back to where Andros was sparring Tyline. The red ranger had just managed to flip the older boy to the ground. Zhane returned his gaze to Tammon, who met it unblinking.  
"It's because it gives you something to do. Something to keep your mind off what happened." It was a statement, not a question.  
Zhane nodded.  
Tammon exhaled loudly, leaning back against the bleachers. "I thought as much. Tell me, Zhane. How is Andros doing?"  
Zhane shrugged. "He's doing better now, sir, since he has started ranger training back up."  
Tammon nodded, shifting his gaze once again in time to see Tyline knock Andros to the floor. "He, more than anyone of us, deserves to be a power ranger. He understands what fate awaits the universe if we fail."   
Zhane blinked. "He has a goal, sir."  
"Yes." Tammon agreed, still watching Andros. The boy had managed to avoid Tylihn's heel kick to his head and was scrambling away from the larger teenager. "As do we all."  
~*~  
"Ecliptor." she spoke her protector's name softly, not allowing even the slightest tremble to leak through. She was becoming better at hiding her emotions, for which she was proud.   
It had been two days since Ecliptor had rescued her; two days since her brother and his friend's death. The memory of her brother tugged her brain, encouraging her to remember him, and she frowned. She still loved her brother, even though he was dead, but his friend Zhane she had hardly known.  
She had hardly known Zhane, but she had talked with him briefly when he came over to play with Andros, and somehow.   
Somehow Zhane's death had affected her almost as deeply as her brother's.  
She felt her lips twitch downward in the beginning of a frown and she curved them upward to neutralize her expression. No expression, no feeling, she reminded herself. Show no weakness. people will take advantage of you. Portray a heartless woman and no one will dare betray you. Ecliptor's instruction's fixed firmly in her mind, she dismissed all thoughts of Zhane and her brother. They would only hurt her.  
"Yes, my Princess?" the gravely voice of her protector sounded from the corridor before her.  
"Where are you?" Karone asked irritably. He was supposed to be her protector, yet it had taken this long for him to answer her call. "I can't see you."  
The shadows before her began to swirl. With a startled squeak she stumbled away from the churning mass of darkness, clutching her head.  
"No expression, no expression," she cried. Her focus remained on her mentor's instructions as she desperately sought control over herself once again.  
Darkness. her mind wailed tearfully. Memories of her brother and his friend sprang forward once again, grasping her mind with startling force. Darkness stole your brother, and your friend. It shall steal you away, too. Snatch you away from where you stand, faster than a Sk'lan. ".capturing it's prey and devouring it!" Zhane's hand shot out to grasp her middle and she shrieked. His face split into a lopsided grin. He was enjoying tickling her, and she knew it.  
"Stop, Zhane- Aack!" Her squeals rang loudly in the night, echoing until it was nearly impossible to determine where one scream ended and the other one began.  
Zhane tipped his head so he was in her sight. "The Sk'lan stops for no one," he hissed in wicked delight through his giggles. "You will be no exception!"  
Her breath came in quick gasps as he continued to tickle her. She squirmed, trying to move close enough to her `attacker' to elude his grasp.   
But he recognized her plan immediately and redoubled his efforts. She doubled over from lack of breath and kicked her legs. She hadn't realized just how close to Zhane she was until it was too late. Her leg snapped out, connecting with something solid, and Zhane yelped, grabbing his nose and backing away in pain.  
"Zhane?" Karone propped herself up on her elbows. "Are you okay?"  
Zhane nodded his head but didn't look at her. Moving forward quickly, Karone grasped his hand and moved away from his face to reveal his nose. It was slightly crooked and bloody. Looking around wildly in panic Karone dropped Zhane's hand.  
"Andros!" she cried. "Andros, where are you?" She was slightly younger than him, and had not yet grasped the art of healing. Andros, however, had.  
The tent flap ruffled slightly before parting to reveal her twin brother. In the dim light of the moon his face appeared shadowed and dark. She shivered. She hated the dark.  
"Karone?" Andros' voice calmed her. "You okay?"  
"I am." She tilted her head in Zhane's direction. "But Zhane's hurt."  
The air whispered at Andros' movement toward her. He reached her, pausing long enough to squeeze her shoulder in adult reassurance, and knelt down beside Zhane.  
"Let me see it, Zhane." Andros commanded softly. Karone had to crane her neck to see Zhane slowly lower his hand. She watched, transfixed, as a gentle glow began to form in her brother's palm.  
The glow grew brighter, a shining gold trinket in liquid form, pulsing as Andros' palm touched Zhane's nose. The blood shriveled up and disappeared, the crooked angle of the nose straightened until it reached its normal tilt.   
And then Andros was removing his hand from his best friend's face, the glow vanishing as he did so. Shifting positions he crouched halfway between Karone and Zhane. His eyes roamed around the tent once as if looking for signs of a fight. Then his gaze met hers and he commanded, "Karone. Wait outside the tent for me."  
Karone nodded. She was consumed with curiosity of what he would do to Zhane. Even though the incident was mostly her fault, she knew Andros would most likely scold Zhane as well as her. She reached out and brushed the tent flap out from her path and stepped into the dark.  
The sounds of the night filled her ears. Crickets chirped from somewhere in the trees. The soft cries of the night owl, rumored to be good luck, originated from the depths in the forest across the tent.  
She breathed deeply, closing her eyes and drinking in the smell of freshly wet grass. The dew drops glistened in the moonlight from where they perched on the small blades of grass, giving the appearance of delicate diamonds.  
Turning, Karone felt her face bathed in the gentle kiss of the moon's gold light. She smiled, raising her arms in welcoming. She didn't know how long she stood there, listening to the cries of the owl and realizing what a beautiful world to which she belonged. All she knew was her sense of security was both deepened and shattered when her brother's hand clasped her shoulder.  
She lowered her arms but made no move to shift from her current location. Beside her Andros stared into the moon's bright light, not seeming to notice his hand on her shoulder or even her.  
They stood like that for several moments, side by side, bonding together in ways understandable only to twins. Finally, Karone turned to face her brother.  
"How is he?"   
But Andros appeared not to have heard. He continued staring at the moon. Concerned, Karone tapped his shoulder. "Are you all right?" her eye twitched, and she frowned.  
Inhaling deeply, Andros nodded. "I am." he replied but remained gazing at the moon.  
"Are you sure?" Karone heard the doubt tinge her voice. She watched as Andros started suddenly, as if waking from a dream, and he turned to face her.  
"Yeah, I'm fine. And so is Zhane. Are you okay?"  
Karone stared at him in shock. She wished she knew what Andros was thinking behind his impassive face. "Why wouldn't I be?" she asked in pure amusement.  
Andros folded his arms across his chest. "You didn't answer the question."  
Her eyes widened until she thought they would fall off her face. She didn't know what he was hinting or what he thought, but if she didn't reply he would probably assume she meant `no.'  
"I'm fine, Andros. Why wouldn't I be?"  
She watched, confused, as Andros shrugged and turned away from her once again. "You felt different." he said simply. "Somewhat weaker, somewhat." he looked up to meet her gaze. "Lightheaded." his sentence ended in a whisper.  
Her stomach dropped. Stumbling back two feet she asked, "What do you mean?" Her voice trembled slightly and she frowned at her lack of control.   
Andros shrugged again. It was nerve-rattling, the way he just stood there watching her, as if he knew something about her that she herself did not. "I don't know." he said. "You tell me."  
Karone nodded slowly. She panned her head across the horizon, gazing, not at the trees or stars, but at few memories she had of Zhane. Of Zhane sitting in class next to her with his head on his desk sleeping, of Zhane sparring Andros at ranger training, of Zhane scrunching his face in concentration as he helped Andros lift her by way of telekinesis, only to drop her in the pond, of Zhane's laughing blue eyes staring into her own blue eyes and seeing straight into her soul.  
Blue eyes.She gasped, swirling to face Andros. He reached out, grabbing her arm and steadying her. "I- I love him." she murmured.  
Andros nodded, eyes seeing into her heart and soul. "I know.  
"My Princess!" the voice was unfamiliar; it was low, gravely and strange. "My Princess, are you all right?"  
She frowned in confusion. The voice wasn't completely unfamiliar. There was a strange sense of knowing whomever was speaking, accompanied by an equally powerful sense of lingering fear and sorrow in the back of her mind.   
"Listen to me, my Princess. You must open your eyes. You must open your eyes now!"  
Who was speaking? The voice was so familiar, yet she could not remember! "Open your eyes, my Princess. You must. open." she strained to hear. What was the voice saying? Something about eyes, and opening.  
"Please listen to me. Open your eyes. You must!"  
Open her eyes? Of course she could do that! Slowly, cautiously, she raised one eyelid and then the other. She was instantly blinded by a bright light shining in her eyes. Jerking her head away she squeezed her eyes shut.   
Even through her closed eyelids she could tell when the light suddenly disappeared. She began to frown but abandoned the movement before it had fully began. She wasn't supposed to frown. That much she remembered.  
"My Princess, are you all right?"  
She opened her eyes again, shocked to see herself lying on the ground with her head pillowed in some mystical creature's lap.  
"E-ecliptor?" she gasped out. Her mind was a muddled shadow with so many names and faces swirling before her it was hard to concentrate properly.   
"Yes, my Princess." The black and green beast replied.   
Karone squinted up at her rescuer. "What. am I doing here? What's going on?" She thought Ecliptor looked somewhat ashamed.   
"I am afraid that is my fault, my Princess, and for that I am sorry. Do you remember when you entered that corridor?" Ecliptor raised her gently up with one arm so she could see where he was pointing with the other.  
She vaguely did. "Yes."  
Ecliptor sighed as he lowered her gently back to the ground. "I'm afraid I did not realize the affect it would have on humans," he admitted, somewhat ruefully. "It seems that when stepping through the doorway it gave you a slight electric shock, alternating your brain patterns temporarily and causing you to relive a memory. For a short while, you were the memory."  
"Oh." was all she could think of to say. Her mind was too clouded, too foggy for her to fully understand. "Am I normal now?"  
"Mostly. You will still have a few flashbacks every now and then, but that shouldn't last longer than a week. But we don't have time to discuss this now. We must meet Dark Spectre."  
"Who's Dark Spectre?" Karone asked. Ecliptor slowly raised her off the ground and onto her feet. Once certain she could stand on her own, he removed his arm from her waist and pushed himself to his feet.  
"Dark Spectre," Ecliptor began in his deep voice, "is my master, and therefore your master as well. He is the one who sent me to rescue you."  
Karone paused. "So what if Dark Spectre hadn't sent you?" From his position ahead of her Ecliptor hesitated.  
"My Princess?"  
Karone sighed, glancing down at her black boots. "I mean, if Dark Spectre hadn't sent you, would you still have. rescued me?"  
Ecliptor cupped her face gently in his hand. "I would have, My Princess." He turned away again. "But we must go. Dark Spectre does not like to be kept waiting."  
~*~  
". the five jars were transported to a cave a few miles east of here." KO-35's only female high school teacher, Ms. Codi, pointed in the direction mentioned. She lowered her arm. "Legend has it when our ancestors first came here they encountered. Mr. Tyline, are you paying attention?"  
Twenty-three grinning faces shifted to regard the blue ranger who was oblivious to everything save Kura, a shy red haired girl who had not turned at the question.   
"Tyline!"  
The blue ranger jumped and nearly fell out his chair.  
Raising her voice above her class's laughter, Codi demanded, "Well?"  
Tyline regarded his angry teacher carefully. He had been listening a few minutes at the beginning of her lecture, enough to know she was discussing the Entrapment of the Five Demons. He straightened his shoulders slowly, doing his best to ignore Zhane's snickering.   
"Yes, Ms. Codi?" he asked calmly. "Did you want something?"  
His infuriated teacher stared at him and he met her eye to eye, not backing down. By now the whole class was snickering, with the exception of Kura and Andros.   
"Because if you did," he continued smoothly, "I await your word's of wisdom." he bit his lip in effort to contain his grin.  
Codi stood leaning against her desk, tapping her pencil against her teeth with a look on her face to freeze a Sk'lan's joints. He sat there calmly with a slight smile on his face. This wasn't the first time he had gotten her mad at him, and it most certainly wouldn't be the last.  
Finally she straightened. "Very well," she said, her tone flat in open disapproval, and he sighed. He knew that tone of voice. She was going to hold him after class and inform him, for at least the hundredth time, how everyone else in the class looked up to him, and how he should be a good role model for everyone, rangers and non rangers alike.  
"You teach the class." He felt his jaw drop at his teacher's command. All around him, the entire class had erupted in laughter. Even Kura and Andros were laughing. Glancing over at his teammate, and then at Kura, he sat up straight and said with no small amount of dignity, "As you wish."  
Conscious of everyone watching him, he stood up and walked to the front of the room. Standing in front of Kura, he smiled down at her. "I'm afraid I'll need a few volunteers," he said apologetically. "Come on up."  
He positioned her next to him. "I need six more volunteers." Twenty- three pairs of hands shot up in the air. He took his time, inspecting each candidate before choosing. "Nomista, Lilith, Camilla." the three girls grinned and went to stand beside Kura.  
"Uh, let's see." Tyline crossed his arms across his chest in feigned importance. "Zyle, come on up." The black ranger shook his head in an overly exaggerated gesture of reluctance, and Tyline smirked. He knew the black ranger was pleased he had been chosen, but he also knew that Zyle was acting reluctant to impress the girls- Desira and Tsarmina, more specifically. And, as Tyline knew, there was nothing they found more heroic than a person doing a favor for their friend.  
"Two more." Tyline muttered. "Need two more volunteers. ah, what the heck. Dalphia, come on up. I'll be the sixth volunteer."  
He positioned the volunteers in a semi circle around him, then turned to face the rest of the class. "As you all know, when humans first came to KO-35 they had no idea what to expect." He glanced at Ms. Codi, who nodded in acknowledgement.  
"They developed a system. Dividing into groups, they split the labor according to the crew's preferences. One group gathered food, one group began building shelter, and one group went exploring." Tyline moved to stand behind the small cluster of volunteers.  
"Everything was going well until one day, one of the exploration groups, consisting of about six people, discovered a cave. They entered it, thinking maybe it was an animal dwelling or a growth site for food, but instead they found themselves standing before five jars."  
Striding over to the chalkboard, Tyline quickly drew four identical jars. The fifth one was a little taller than the others.  
"Naturally, they were curious. The leader of the party, whom I shall take the liberty of playing, instructed the others to remove the jars from their perch."  
By now the class was staring in rapture at the story. Even Ms. Codi seemed impressed, as she no longer looked the least bit angry.  
"The group did as they were told-all but one. Kura shall represent Cla'toria, the one person in the group who sensed an event of upcoming disaster. She tried to reason with the leader but he paid no attention to her. She was, after all, supposed to have been a quiet woman."  
A hand shot up in the back of the room. "Yes?" Tyline gestured for his classmate to speak.  
"If she was so quiet than why didn't the leader listen to her?" Enda, a fifteen year old boy, asked. "Shouldn't that have warned him that something was wrong?"  
"It should have," Tyline agreed with a nod. "And normally, he would have listened to her. Especially because she was a psychic. Her mind was stronger than anyone else's in the group. And that was the problem."  
"What do you mean?" another classmate yelled out. "That should have warned everyone that they shouldn't touch the jars."  
"Yeah," a sixteen year old girl agreed, "they should have gotten out of there."  
Tyline raised his hands to placate the class. "As I said, normally they would have left the cave immediately. Cla'toria was well- respected. She had never been wrong in her readings." He paused, taking a deep breath. "But as I said, that was the problem. No one else's mind was as controlled or strong as hers. They were more susceptible to spells and being controlled by unnatural forces. It was the demons in the jars that she had sensed, and they were the ones responsible for the group's disregarding her warning.  
"You see," he continued, "as soon as the group had walked into the cave the demons sensed them. They were strong demons with very powerful magic. Slowly, so the group wouldn't feel a thing, they each chose a member of the group and entered their mind. Cla'toria was spared because of her mind powers. Had they tried entering her mind, she would have sensed it immediately and destroyed them."  
He took a deep breath and touched Lilith's shoulder. "Sonja was the first to take hold a jar. She took the jar which held the demon controlling her mind. The lid was on tight. She knew that must have meant something special was in the jar, but she didn't know what. She started to take the lid of the bottle but the demon stopped her. It wasn't time. If she opened it before its fellow demons were free they'd remain trapped."  
Tyline shook his head. "Cla'toria still felt something was wrong but she said nothing. She sensed the teams' minds were not their own, and felt it best to avoid them until she knew more about the situation. So she watched as the rest of the group took the bottles off the ledge. The leader took the larger, slightly different bottle. Once they had gotten the bottles, they each opened theirs. Immediately a loud clash of thunder was heard, and the cave erupted in color. Red, blue, yellow, pink, purple and orange- the colors flashed wildly, and then something erupted from each jar, racing to the ceiling of the cave and bouncing off it and into the group's eyes."  
Tyline crossed his arms. "The cave quieted then, and the group turned to look at Cla'toria. What she saw scared her half to death. Their eyes were a burning pool of color. They were possessed. Whatever had captured them was ruthless. She knew her only hope was to get out of there fast, so she did. She ran, and they followed. She barely made it back to the camp, which is now known as the old ruins in the forest. No one knows why, but the demons could not pursue her there. The rest of the humans were safe as long as they stayed within their makeshift building. But they couldn't do that. The demons blockaded them, and slowly the humans began to starve. Finally, Cla'toria developed a plan to entrap the demons back in the cave. No one knows what the plan was, or if it worked, but it is thought to have succeeded. The demons are now trapped in the same cave, with a magical force field around the jars. No one without magical powers can lower the force field. And that is the story of the Entrapment of the Demons."  
The shrill shriek of the bell made the class jump. Looking at the clock, Tyline was surprise to see his story had taken over a half an hour over to tell. Grabbing his backpack, he went to join the students filtering out the door when Ms. Codi stopped him.  
Her eyes no longer flashed with anger, and the expression on her face was of wonder. "Where did you hear that story before?" she asked.  
Asked, not demanded, which told him she was in one of the best moods of her life, and Tyline shrugged.  
"My mother used to tell it to me all the time," he replied. "She thought it was important to know our history."  
"And indeed it is," Ms. Codi agreed. "Now tell me, do you know why the records of the demons' defeat were lost?"  
Tyline nodded. "I think so. Supposedly the demons were able to destroy the secret to defeating them. They hope to escape once again, and when they do, they want to ensure they won't be trapped again."  
"Which is why it is so important everyone learned about them. About their lures, about their history."  
Tyline nodded. "I suppose so," he stepped away from the door to allow a student to leave. "But it's also really fascinating to know our ancestor's once defeated a great evil. Kind of gives us hope for our situation, with the upcoming war and all. If they could defeat the five demons, then maybe we can defeat Dark Spectre and his army. We don't have Cla'toria to help us, of course, which is a shame, but we do have Eltar and Zordon, and the Power Rangers."  
Ms. Codi smiled, the first smile he could ever recall being on her face, and she said, "You have an optimism that's contagious. And an enthusiasm that you pass on to your listeners when you speak. You can do a lot of good with that. Why don't you concentrate on teaching instead of being the class clown? The students listened to you with no side conversations. They gave you your complete attention."  
"I don't think I'd make a very good teacher," Tyline confessed.  
"No," Ms. Codi said sharply. "Don't say that. You're a natural teacher."  
Tyline smiled. Shouldering his backpack, he glanced past his teacher's shoulder to see the other rangers waiting for him by his locker. "Thanks," he said, and gently brushed past her and into the hallway.  
* * *  
"Astronema." The monarch known as Dark Spectre rumbled in what Ecliptor hoped was approval. But Ecliptor was careful to keep his voice expressionless when he spoke. It wouldn't do to let the other know he was already fond of the girl.  
"Yes, master," he growled. "I have taken the liberty of renaming her Astronema. I trust you don't mind."  
Dark Spectre shook his head, large ears flapping stiffly. "Astronema was a good choice," he complimented, for which Ecliptor was instantly on guard. Dark Spectre never complimented anyone-he ordered. Trying to hide the worry in his body language, Ecliptor bowed respectfully.  
"Now," Dark Spectre began, seeming not to notice when Ecliptor jerked upward. "Bring me the girl."  
"The girl?" Ecliptor sputtered. "But, your majesty-"  
"I said, bring me the girl!" the other roared, cutting Ecliptor off without a second thought.  
"Uh, yes, your majesty. Of course." Stiffly, Ecliptor moved to the door and opened it. Poking his head inside, he quickly located the yellow-clad Kerovian sitting in the hallway.  
"Astronema," he rumbled. He watched as the girl scrambled to her feet with little to no dignity, and he sighed in silent dismay. It would take a lot of work to transform her into the Princess she was destined to be. Which was understandable, he mused thoughtfully as she approached him. She had, after all, been raised with her twin brother. It was just natural for her to have picked up some boyish habits from him.  
"Yes, Ecliptor?" the girl straightened her shoulders proudly, and Ecliptor would have smiled, if possible. The girl was trying to be brave and act fearless. She was doing a fairly good job of it, too.  
"Dark Spectre awaits," he gestured to were the evil monarch stood waiting.  
The girl peeked past his shoulder, took a deep breath, and nodded. "I am ready." she answered.  
"Very well." He backed away from the door. "Enter. I shall be right outside."  
The girl blinked at him, obviously surprised at her intended solo entrance, then moved into the room, closing the door softly and blocking Ecliptor's view of the room. The cubicle being sighed, and sank to the floor. It was impossible. What Dark Spectre was trying to achieve . it wouldn't work. The girl wouldn't fight for the side of evil, not after what had been done to her brother. She wouldn't attack helpless people for remembrance of her own pain.  
He raised his red eyes and glared at the wall opposite side him. If only her brother was still alive. With him converted it would have made the job so much easier, for she had obviously looked up to him.  
He sighed again, feeling the strange pain emitting from his chest for the second time that day. He hardly knew anything about the attack on her family; he knew what Dark Spectre had told him and nothing else. He was not meant to know more. But her brother hadn't deserved to die. That much, at least, he knew. And the thought saddened him, because he could do nothing about it. Not when his own pain was still strong in his heart.  
* * *  
Karone swallowed nervously. Dark Spectre was even more horrible looking than she had imagined. He was a large chunk of lava that had been given shape and form, and possibly, a soul. Though she found it hard to believe a creature so hideous could possess a soul.  
The creature caught site of her, and she gulped involuntarily. It rasped a command to her, but she barely heard it. Her ears were roaring, her blood pounding .   
The creature's mouth moved again, revealing his large, jagged teeth, and she thought it told her to stand before him. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Karone straightened her shoulders and moved forward in the graceful posture Ecliptor had shown her.   
She reached the creature and immediately bowed. One of Ecliptor's instructions had been to bow when reaching Dark Spectre and to bow before leaving him. Ruefully, she thought if Dark Spectre told her to bow, she would. And if he told her to jump up and down like a toad, she'd do that, too. She wasn't about to get this beast angry with her. "Ah, Astronema," the creature rumbled. "I see Ecliptor has been instructing you." It was a statement, with a tinge of expectance.  
"Um. yes, Your Highness, he has." Karone bowed again.  
"He has done well," Dark Spectre commented. Still the strange tone remained in his raspy voice, and she felt sweat forming on her palms. What was he waiting for? What was she supposed to do? The creature was staring at her, and had been since she had first walked in the door.  
"Ecliptor is a very good teacher," she managed to stutter, in response to Dark Spectre's comment.  
Dark Spectre bobbed his head in a nod. "That he is," he agreed, "which is why you shall be in his care until he has taught you everything you need to know, and maybe even after that."  
Karone swallowed, and offered timidly, "I. I would like that, Your Highness."  
Dark Spectre nodded. "I have a story to tell you," he rumbled. The announcement was so off topic that she blinked. "Would you like to hear it?"  
"Y-yes," she said. "I would."  
Dark Spectre began, "I once had a brother. He was younger than me, and he was called Maligore. He had been trapped in a volcano for thousands of years, as I was trapped in another galaxy, and unable to help him. But one person could. Divatox, a pirate queen, journeyed to the lost island in which he was trapped to release him. She reached the volcano and freed him, but then the power rangers showed up." Dark Spectre snarled, baring his teeth angrily. Karone gulped. She could guess what was coming.  
"They forced Maligore into a fight and destroyed him. They never even gave him a chance."  
"What about Divatox? Did they destroy her, too?" Karone noticed Dark Spectre's angry glare as he remembered the day he had lost his brother. She knew she should be frightened, but she found it hard to believe the monster would harm her, not with what they held in common.  
"Divatox is a fool." Dark Spectre hissed. "She knew the Power Rangers were following her, and she did nothing. She thought Maligore would destroy them." His lava seemed to burn brighter as his anger grew. "Had he had a chance to recover, and he would have. But what she was expecting was impossible, and my brother paid for it with his life." Karone looked at her feet. From what Ecliptor and Dark Spectre had told her, she gathered the power rangers killed many innocent people a day. And that had to stop. But how? She couldn't kill them. They had families. But. she looked up at Dark Spectre, an idea forming in the back of her head. She wouldn't kill them, no, but she could-and would- take away their powers. That would put a stop to their madness. Meeting Dark Spectre's stare, she offered, "I have a plan, your majesty."  
"Indeed." The ground shook slightly as Dark Spectre shifted positions. "And what does your plan involve?"  
Licking her lips nervously, Karone proceeded to explain. Dark Spectre listened intently, and in the back of her mind she wondered how quickly events had changed. She had gone from a future ranger to a ranger destroyer. It seemed more than a little strange planning against them in such a fashion, but she would do what she had to do. She had to prevent more bloodshed.  
* * *  
"Well, today's the day. We're testing to become rangers. And you know what the best part of being a ranger will be?" Zhane slapped Andros' shoulder cheerfully. "Soon the galaxy will have heard of each and everyone of us. We'll be famous! And think of all the girls!!" he grinned. "Chicks dig famous guys."  
"You mean chicks dig cute famous guys," Zyle piped up from his position next to Tsarmina. "Unfortunately, you're neither, so you'll just have to stay single." Both Tsarmina and Zyle burst out laughing as Zhane whirled on them, an expression of mock hurt plastered on his face.  
"Hey!" he cried dramatically. "How can you be so cruel? To dash my hopes without a single concern for my feelings! I am too cute!" he looked to Tyline. "Back me up here!"  
Tyline stopped his walking and turned to face Zhane. Crossing his arms across his chest, he studied the other ranger carefully. Finally, he resumed his walking and called behind him, "Sorry, Zhane. I can't lie."  
Zhane threw his arms up in disgust. "That's it," he cried over his snickering teammates. "I give up! Not one of you can see my hopelessly dashing young looks."  
The rangers burst into outright laughter. Zhane continued, "One of these days I'm going to be famous, and every girl in the galaxy will want me."  
The laughter turned slightly hysterical. Zhane shook his head, amused. He knew he wasn't particularly `good-looking,' but he also knew he wasn't ugly. But he was fifteen, and just now becoming more interested in girls in a way he'd never been in before. The other rangers knew that, and all were older than he, with the exception of Andros, who was thirteen, and still a little young to be interested in girls that way. But the other rangers thought it highly amusing that Zhane now constantly worried about his looks and talked about girls.  
"Hey, look! There's Tammon!" The rangers turned to Desira, who was pointing to their training facilities. Zhane squinted. There was someone standing next to the main entrance. Even at the great distance Zhane could make out Tammon standing there with a hard expression on his face.  
Andros frowned, and Zhane realized the other boy must of noticed the same thing he had. "What's he doing out here? He almost never leaves the building."  
Tyline glanced sideways at the younger boy. I don't know," he said, "but I think we'd better find out. Let's go!" He took of running toward the middle aged instructor, leaving the others to follow on their own accord.  
Zhane looked at the other rangers, shrugged, and ran off in the same direction Tyline had, somehow knowing the other rangers were right behind him.  
He reached Tammon a few seconds later, and stopped. The run hadn't left him the least bit tired, and his chest swelled up proudly. He could remember the first day of ranger training, when he had been instructed to run half the length of what he had just done, and it had left him exhausted. But now, he was barely even breathing hard.  
"What's wrong, Tammon?" Zhane asked worriedly. Behind him, Desira, Andros, Tsarmina, and Zyle leaned forward to hear their instructor speak.  
"A lot of things," Tammon replied. "Their was an attack on the city today."  
Zhane felt as if he'd been slapped. "An attack on the city?" he asked breathlessly. The other rangers looked just as stunned as he. "Was anyone hurt?"  
"No," Tammon replied gravely. "But we were lucky. Next time we might not be as lucky. Our planet needs its rangers."  
"What. what are you saying Tammon?" Desira asked.  
Tammon sighed. "I'm saying your tests are canceled." Zhane opened his mouth to speak, but Tammon rushed on. "Your training is complete, and the war is coming. We can't afford to take the time for your tests before you come into power." His eyes bore into each ranger individually, and Zhane shivered.  
"Your ceremony is tonight. You shall get your powers then. Be ready." He paused, glancing at his feet before raising his eyes to meet those of the rangers once again. "I'm afraid I can no longer help you. I will miss you. You were all great students, and I wish you the best of luck in protecting our planet." He raised his hand to his temple in a salute. "Make me proud."  
~*~  
Tykwa stood next to Kinwon at the ceremony. The rangers were on a raised platform so everyone could see them. Each wore their respected colors: Zhane wore silver, Desira pink, Tsarmina yellow, Andros red, Zyle black, and Tyline blue. She felt her throat constrict at the sight of them standing side by side, expressions stern. They were so young.  
She sniffed, blinking back tears. They were so young, and yet they were KO-35's sole hope for survival.  
Thunder rumbled in the distance, and she glanced at the sky. Dark clouds had formed above the rangers, but they didn't move. A tongue of lightning flashed, answered by a ear-splitting crack of thunder, and she ducked instinctively, aware of half the audience doing the same.  
And then the rangers moved. As one they extended their left arms to the sky, heads craned back, and lightning flashed toward them faster than the eye could follow.  
Tykwa caught her breath in amazement. The rangers' arms were still extended, head still tilted back, and their eyes were closed. The lighting flashed again, and this time Tykwa could see the power run through the rangers' bodies, giving them strength and charging their morphers.  
And then the lightning vanished, and the rangers lowered their arms and gazed out across the audience. Tyline, who was slightly in front of the others, called out, "Ready?"  
As far away from the platforms on which they stood, Tykwa could still clearly hear the others' loud reply of, "Ready!"  
As one the rangers' arms shot out, then drew back, and with a cry of, "Let's Rocket!" there was a flashing light. The light faded instantly, and standing in place of the teenagers were six power rangers. The crowd erupted into cheers, and Tykwa found herself applauding enthusiastically.  
Dark Spectre might defeat them one day, she thought as she cheered, but they would give him one heck of a fight.  
Well, this is the end of The Rise of the Astros, and part two of the Kerovian Chronicles. Email me what you think!!  
  
  



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